Secondary battery

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a secondary battery, which includes an electrode assembly, a case, a cap assembly and a first insulating tape. The electrode assembly comprises an electrode unit. The electrode unit comprises a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate and a separator. The electrode unit is a winding structure and in a flat shape, and an outermost turn of the negative electrode plate is positioned at an outer side of an outermost turn of the positive electrode plate. The case comprises a first side wall and an accommodating cavity, the electrode assembly is accommodated in the accommodating cavity, the case is electrically connected with the positive electrode plate, and the cap assembly is connected with the case. The first insulating tape is positioned between the electrode assembly and the first side wall and closely attached to an outer surface of the electrode assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/732,172, entitled “SECONDARY BATTERY” and filedon Dec. 31, 2019, which claims priority to Chinese Patent ApplicationNo. 201910155674.1, entitled “SECONDARY BATTERY” and filed with theState Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China onMar. 1, 2019, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the field of battery, and particularlyrelates to a secondary battery.

BACKGROUND

A secondary battery comprises an electrode assembly and a caseaccommodating the electrode assembly. The existing case is generallyconducted with a positive electrode of the electrode assembly, so as tomake the case kept at high potential to avoid corrosion. However, thecase will increase a risk of short circuit of the secondary batteryunder the conduction of the case. For example, in the process ofassembling the secondary battery, metal foreign materials will beremained on an outer surface of the electrode assembly. In the workingprocess, the electrode assembly expands and presses the case in thelater stage of the cycle-life, at this time, the metal foreign materialsare easy to pierce a separator of the electrode assembly, and conduct anegative electrode of the electrode assembly to the case, therebyleading to short circuit and resulting in safety risk.

SUMMARY

A secondary battery in accordance with some embodiments comprises anelectrode assembly, a case, a cap assembly and a first insulating tape.The electrode assembly comprises an electrode unit, the electrode unitis provided as one or plurality in number. The electrode unit comprisesa positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate and a separatorprovided between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrodeplate. The electrode unit is a winding structure and in a flat shape,and an outermost turn of the negative electrode plate is positioned atan outer side of an outermost turn of the positive electrode plate. Thecase comprises a first side wall and an accommodating cavity, theelectrode assembly is accommodated in the accommodating cavity, the caseis electrically connected with the positive electrode plate, and the capassembly is connected with the case. The first insulating tape ispositioned between the electrode assembly and the first side wall andclosely attached to an outer surface of the electrode assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a secondary battery according to thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 2 is another schematic view of the secondary battery according tothe present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an electrode assembly anda first insulating tape of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along a line A-A of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an electrode unit of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of another embodiment of an electrodeassembly and a first insulating tape of FIG. 2.

Reference numerals in figures are represented as follows:

-   -   1 electrode assembly    -   11 electrode unit    -   111 positive electrode plate    -   111 c positive electrode current collector    -   111 d positive electrode active material layer    -   112 negative electrode plate    -   112 c negative electrode current collector    -   112 d negative electrode active material layer    -   113 separator    -   11 a narrow surface    -   11 b main surface    -   12 end surface    -   13 first surface    -   14 second surface    -   2 case    -   21 first side wall    -   22 accommodating cavity    -   23 second side wall    -   3 cap assembly    -   31 cap plate    -   32 electrode terminal    -   33 connecting piece    -   4 first insulating tape    -   41 base body    -   42 adhesive layer    -   4 c first edge    -   4 d second edge    -   5 second insulating tape    -   6 protecting member    -   X width direction    -   Y thickness direction    -   Z length direction

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To make the object, technical solutions and advantages of the presentdisclosure more apparent, hereinafter the present disclosure will befurther described in detail in combination with the accompanying figuresand the embodiments. It should be understood that the specificembodiments described herein are merely used to explain the presentdisclosure but are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

In the description of the present disclosure, unless otherwisespecifically defined and limited, the terms “first”, “second”, and“third” are only used for illustrative purposes and are not to beconstrued as expressing or implying a relative importance. The term“plurality” is two or more. Unless otherwise defined or described, theterm “connect” should be broadly interpreted, for example, the term“connect” can be “fixedly connect”, “detachably connect”, “integrallyconnect”, “electrically connect” or “signal connect”. The term “connect”also can be “directly connect” or “indirectly connect via a medium”. Forthe persons skilled in the art, the specific meanings of theabovementioned terms in the present disclosure can be understoodaccording to the specific situation.

In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understoodthat spatially relative terms, such as “above”, “below” and the like,are described based on orientations illustrated in the figures, but arenot intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure.Hereinafter the present disclosure will be further described in detailin combination with the exemplary embodiments and the figures.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a secondary battery of the presentdisclosure comprises an electrode assembly 1, a case 2, a cap assembly 3and a first insulating tape 4.

The electrode assembly 1 comprises an electrode unit 11, the electrodeunit 11 is provided as one or plurality in number; in some embodiments,the electrode unit 11 is provided as plurality in number, and theplurality of electrode units 11 are arranged in a thickness direction Y.Referring to FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, the electrode unit 11 comprises apositive electrode plate 111, a negative electrode plate 112 and aseparator 113 provided between the positive electrode plate 111 and thenegative electrode plate 112. The electrode unit 11 is formed byspirally winding the positive electrode plate 111, the negativeelectrode plate 112 and the separator 113, and the electrode unit 11forms a flat structure by pressing.

The positive electrode plate 111 comprises a positive electrode currentcollector 111 c and a positive electrode active material layer 111 dcoated on two surfaces of the positive electrode current collector 111c, the positive electrode current collector 111 c is an aluminum foil insome embodiments, and the positive electrode active material layer 111 dcomprises lithium manganese oxide or lithium iron phosphate. Thepositive electrode current collector 111 c has a positive electrodeblank region which is not covered by the positive electrode activematerial layer 111 d. The negative electrode plate 112 comprises anegative electrode current collector 112 c and a negative electrodeactive material layer 112 d coated on two surfaces of the negativeelectrode current collector 112 c, the negative electrode currentcollector 112 c is a copper foil in some embodiments, the negativeelectrode active material layer 112 d comprises graphite or silicon. Thenegative electrode current collector 112 c has a negative electrodeblank region which is not covered by the negative electrode activematerial layer 112 d.

In the working process of the secondary battery, a lithium-ion in thepositive electrode active material layer 111 d needs to pass through theseparator 113 and intercalate into the negative electrode activematerial layer 112 d. When winding, if an outermost turn of the negativeelectrode plate 112 of the electrode unit 11 is positioned at an innerside of an outermost turn of the positive electrode plate 111 of theelectrode unit 11, the lithium-ion in the outermost turn of the positiveelectrode plate 111 cannot intercalate into the negative electrode plate112, thereby leading to precipitate problem of lithium. Therefore, inthe electrode unit 11 of the present disclosure, the outermost turn ofthe negative electrode plate 112 is positioned at an outer side of theoutermost turn of the positive electrode plate 111. Certainly, in orderto ensure insulation, an outermost turn of the separator 113 of theelectrode unit 11 is positioned at an outer side of the outermost turnof the negative electrode plate 112.

Referring to FIG. 6, the electrode unit 11 comprises two narrow surfaces11 a and two main surfaces 11 b. The two main surfaces 11 b arerespectively positioned at two ends of the electrode unit 11 in thethickness direction Y, and each main surface 11 b is a basically flatsurface. The two narrow surfaces 11 a are respectively positioned at twoends of the electrode unit 11 in a width direction X, at least a part ofthe narrow surface 11 a is an arc surface, and each narrow surface 11 aconnects the two main surfaces 11 b. An area of the main surface 11 b islarger than an area of the narrow surface 11 a. The thickness directionY and the width direction X are perpendicular to each other; thethickness direction Y and the width direction X are perpendicular to awinding axis of the electrode unit 11. In addition, an outermost turn ofthe electrode unit 11 is the separator 113, so the narrow surface 11 aand the main surface 11 b respectively are different parts of an exposedsurface of the separator 113.

The case 2 forms an accommodating cavity 22 inside, to accommodate theelectrode assembly 1 and an electrolyte. An opening is formed at an endof the accommodating cavity 22, and the electrode assembly 1 can bepositioned into the accommodating cavity 22 via the opening. The case 2is made of conductive metal in some embodiments, such as aluminum,aluminum alloy or the like.

The case 2 is prismatic in some embodiments. Specifically, the case 2comprises a first side wall 21, a second side wall 23 and a bottom wall,the first side wall 21 is provided as two in number and the two firstside walls 21 are respectively provided at two sides of the electrodeassembly 1 in the thickness direction Y; the second side wall 23 isprovided as two in number and the two second side walls 23 arerespectively provided at two sides of the electrode assembly 1 in thewidth direction X; the two first side walls 21 and the two second sidewalls 23 are connected together to form an approximate rectangle frame.The bottom wall is provided at a lower side of the first side walls 21and the second side walls 23 and connected with the first side walls 21and the second side walls 23; the accommodating cavity 22 of the case 2is surrounded by the bottom wall, the two first side walls 21 and thetwo second side walls 23. Compared to the second side wall 23, the firstside wall 21 has a larger area.

Referring to FIG. 1, the cap assembly 3 comprises a cap plate 31, anelectrode terminal 32 and a connecting piece 33. The cap plate 31 isconnected with the case 2 and covers the opening of the case 2, so as toseal the opening of the case 2. The electrode terminal 32 is provided tothe cap plate 31, and in some embodiments, the connecting piece 33 isrespectively electrically connected with the electrode terminal 32 andthe electrode assembly 1 by welding. In a length direction Z, the capplate 31 and the bottom wall of the case 2 are respectively positionedat two sides of the electrode assembly 1.

The electrode terminal 32 is provided as two in number in someembodiments. One electrode terminal 32 as a positive electrode terminalis electrically connected with the positive electrode plate 111 via oneconnecting piece 33; the other electrode terminal 32 as a negativeelectrode terminal is electrically connected with the negative electrodeplate 112 via the other connecting piece 33. The cap plate 31 is a metalplate in some embodiments, and the cap plate 31 is electricallyconnected with the electrode terminal 32 as the positive electrodeterminal and insulated from the negative electrode terminal 32. In someembodiments, the case 2 is connected with the cap plate 31 to form aseal by welding or the like.

In known technology, the electrolyte is easy to corrode the case 2,thereby affecting the performance and life of the secondary battery. Inthe present disclosure, the case 2 is electrically connected with thepositive electrode plate 111 via the cap plate 31 and the electrodeterminal 32 as the positive electrode terminal, thereby making the case2 kept at high potential, avoiding electrochemical corrosion, improvingthe performance and life of the secondary battery.

In the process of assembling the secondary battery, the generated metalforeign materials are easy to sputter and attach to an outer surface ofthe electrode assembly 1. In the working process, the electrode assembly1 will expand, and the expansion of the electrode assembly 1 in thethickness direction Y is most serious; when expanding, the electrodeassembly 1 will press the first side wall 21; under the influence ofpressure, the metal foreign materials attached to the outer surface ofthe electrode assembly 1 are easy to pierce the separator 113, andconduct the negative electrode active material layer 112 d of thenegative electrode plate 112 to the first side wall 21; especially, whenthe secondary battery is in a state of full charge, if the negativeelectrode active material layer 112 d of the negative electrode plate112 is conducted to the first side wall 21, the electrode assembly 1will generate heat rapidly inside, thereby leading to safety risk.

Therefore, in some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a firstinsulating tape 4 on the outer surface of the electrode assembly 1, thefirst insulating tape 4 is closely attached to the outer surface of theelectrode assembly 1 and positioned between the electrode assembly 1 andthe first side wall 21. In some embodiments, the first insulating tape 4is provided as two in number, and the two first insulating tapes 4 arerespectively positioned at two ends of the electrode assembly 1 in thethickness direction Y.

Hereinafter a forming process of the secondary battery of the presentdisclosure will be briefly described:

-   -   (i) winding the positive electrode plate 111, the negative        electrode plate 112 and the separator 113 together to form the        electrode unit 11; bonding the first insulating tape 4 on the        surface of the electrode unit 11 after winding;    -   (ii) stacking a plurality of electrode units 11 together to make        the plurality of electrode units 11 form the electrode assembly        1; during stacking, keeping the first insulating tape 4 at an        outer side of the electrode assembly 1;    -   (iii) respectively welding the positive electrode blank region        and the negative electrode blank region of the electrode unit 11        to two connecting pieces 33, and then respectively welding the        two connecting pieces 33 to the two electrode terminals 32 of        the cap assembly 1; and    -   (iv) placing the electrode assembly 1 and the first insulating        tape 4 bonding on the electrode assembly 1 into the case 2, and        then welding the case 2 with the cap plate 31 of the cap        assembly 3 to realize seal of the case 2.

When the number of the electrode units 11 is large, it only needs tobond the first insulating tapes 4 on two electrode units 11 which areoutermost in the thickness direction Y; therefore, in step (i), surfacesof a part of the electrode units 11 does not need to bond with the firstinsulating tapes 4.

In known technology, when welding the electrode terminal and theconnecting piece, the metal foreign materials generated by welding areeasy to attach on the outer surface of the electrode assembly. In theworking process, the electrode assembly expands and presses the case inthe later stage of the cycle-life, at this time, the metal foreignmaterials are easy to pierce the separator of the electrode assembly,and conduct the negative electrode of the electrode assembly to thecase, thereby leading to short circuit and resulting in safety risk.

In the present disclosure, before welding the connecting piece 33 to theelectrode terminal 32, it bonds the first insulating tape 4 on the outersurface of the electrode assembly 1 firstly; when welding the connectingpiece 33 and the electrode terminal 32, the first insulating tape 4 canprotect the electrode assembly 1, thereby avoiding the metal foreignmaterials being directly attached to the outer surface of the electrodeassembly 1.

When the electrode assembly 1 expands, the first insulating tape 4 canseparate the first side wall 21 and the electrode assembly 1, therebyavoiding the metal foreign materials remained between the firstinsulating tape 4 and the case 2 piercing the separator 113, preventingthe electrical connection between the electrode assembly 1 and the firstside wall 21, decreasing the risk of short circuit and improvinginsulation performance.

If a gap is kept between the first insulating tape 4 and the outersurface of the electrode assembly 1, the metal foreign materials may beremained between the first insulating tape 4 and the electrode assembly1; when the electrode assembly 1 expands, the metal foreign materialsstill will pierce the separator 113 easily, even pierce the negativeelectrode plate 112 and affect the performance of the secondary battery.In the present disclosure, the first insulating tape 4 are closelyattached to the outer surface of the electrode assembly 1, so the metalforeign materials almost cannot enter into between the first insulatingtape 4 and the electrode assembly 1, thereby avoiding the metal foreignmaterials piercing the separator 113 and the negative electrode plate112.

In order to ensure that the lithium-ion of the positive electrode plate111 can intercalate into the negative electrode plate 112 as far aspossible, along the length direction Z parallel to the winding axis ofthe electrode unit 11, a dimension of the negative electrode activematerial layer 112 d of the negative electrode plate 112 is generallylarger than a dimension of the positive electrode active material layer111 d of the positive electrode plate 111. Specifically, referring toFIG. 5, at one end of the electrode assembly 1 in the length directionZ, one end portion 112 a of the negative electrode active material layer112 d exceeds one end portion 111 a of the positive electrode activematerial layer 111 d; at the other end of the electrode assembly 1 inthe length direction Z, the other end portion 112 b of the negativeelectrode active material layer 112 d exceeds the other end portion 111b of the positive electrode active material layer 111 d. In order toensure insulation performance, in the length direction Z, a dimension ofthe separator 113 is generally larger than the dimension of the negativeelectrode active material layer 112 d; specifically, at one end of theelectrode assembly 1 in the length direction Z, one end portion 113 a ofthe separator 113 exceeds one end portion 112 a of the negativeelectrode active material layer 112 d; at the other end of the electrodeassembly 1 in the length direction Z, the other end portion 113 b of theseparator 113 exceeds the other end portion 112 b of the negativeelectrode active material layer 112 d. At this time, in the lengthdirection Z, the separator 113 completely covers the positive electrodeactive material layer 111 d and the negative electrode active materiallayer 112 d.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, along the lengthdirection Z parallel to the winding axis of the electrode unit 11, anend portion of the first insulating tape 4 exceeds the negativeelectrode active material layer 112 d of the negative electrode plate112. In other words, at one end of the electrode assembly 1 in thelength direction Z, one end portion 4 a of the first insulating tape 4exceeds one end portion 112 a of the negative electrode active materiallayer 112 d; at the other end of the electrode assembly 1 in the lengthdirection Z, the other end portion 4 b of the first insulating tape 4exceeds the other end portion 112 b of the negative electrode activematerial layer 112 d. At this time, in the length direction Z, the firstinsulating tape 4 can completely cover the negative electrode activematerial layer 112 d, thereby promoting the insulation performance,decreasing the risk that negative electrode active material layer 112 dis conducted to the first side wall 21 to the greatest extent possible,and improving safety performance.

The electrode assembly 1 has two end surfaces 12 disposed opposite toeach other in the length direction Z. Specifically, after the electrodeassembly 1 is formed by winding, two end portions of the separator 113in the length direction Z are wound to a plurality of turns, each endportion approximately forms a surface, the surface formed by each endportion is the end surface 12. Fine gaps are kept in the two endsurfaces 12, and the electrolyte can flow into the inside of theelectrode assembly 1 via the gaps, thereby promoting infiltrationcapability.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in the length directionZ, the end portion of the first insulating tape 4 does not exceed theend surface 12; in other words, in the length direction Z, the firstinsulating tape 4 is positioned between the two end surfaces 12 of theelectrode assembly 1. If the end portion of the first insulating tape 4exceeds the end surface 12, in the assembling process or using process,a part of the first insulating tape 4 exceeding the end surface 12 iseasy to bend to the end surface 12, thereby covering the gaps in the endsurface 12, affecting the infiltration capability, and leading to a riskof precipitate of lithium.

The first insulating tape 4 comprises a base body 41 and an adhesivelayer 42, the base body 41 is bonded on the outer surface of theelectrode assembly 1 via the adhesive layer 42. A material of the basebody 41 is flexible polymer in some embodiments, such as PMMA or PET. Amaterial of the adhesive layer 42 is acrylate or ethyl acetate in someembodiments.

In the present disclosure, the base body 41 is directly bonded to theouter surface of the electrode assembly 1 via the adhesive layer 42, andthere is no gap between the first insulating tape 4 and the electrodeassembly 1, thereby avoiding the metal foreign materials entering intobetween first insulating tape 4 and the electrode assembly 1. In thepresent disclosure, although the first insulating tape 4 can avoid themetal foreign materials being attached to the outer surface of theelectrode assembly 1, the metal foreign materials still will be attachedto an outer surface of the first insulating tape 4, therefore, the firstinsulating tape 4 needs to have a sufficient thickness, to avoid itbeing pierced by the metal foreign materials. In addition, the electrodeassembly 1 will expand and deform in the using process, so it ensuresthat the first insulating tape 4 can correspondingly elastically deformwith the expansion and contraction of the electrode assembly 1, therebyensuring the cycle performance and the safety performance of thesecondary battery.

In the present disclosure, a thickness of the base body 41 is 10 μm-50μm, an elastic modulus of the base body 41 is 1 Gpa-6 Gpa.

In the assembling process of the secondary battery, dimensions of themetal foreign materials generated by welding are uneven. When thethickness of the base body 41 is smaller than 10 μm, the metal foreignmaterials having larger dimensions still may pierce the first insulatingtape 4, thereby leading to an electrical connection between the negativeelectrode plate 112 and the first side wall 21, resulting in a risk ofshort circuit. When the thickness of the base body 41 is larger than 50μm, the first insulating tape 4 has a larger volume and occupies moreinner space of the case 2. Therefore, by limiting the thickness of thebase body 41 to 10 μm-50 μm, it can effectively reduce the risk of shortcircuit, meanwhile, it also can ensure that the first insulating tape 4does not excessively occupy the inner space of the case 2. In someembodiments, the thickness of the base body 41 is 12 μm-30 μm.

When the elastic modulus of the base body 41 is smaller than 1 Gpa, thebase body 41 is very easy to deform plastically under the influence ofexpanding pressure, which leads to the thickness of the base body 41being decreased and the strength of the base body 41 being reduced; atthis time, the metal foreign materials may pierce the first insulatingtape 4, thereby resulting in the electrical connection between thenegative electrode plate 112 and the first side wall 21, and leading tothe risk of short circuit. When the elastic modulus of the base body 41is larger than 6 Gpa, the base body 41 almost cannot be deformed by theexpanding pressure, in other words, the base body 41 will limit theexpansion of the electrode assembly 1; under the influence of limitingpressure, a part of electrolyte in the electrode assembly 1 will beextruded out, which results in the electrolyte being insufficient,thereby leading to the lithium-ion being unable to pass through theseparator 113 and causing the precipitate of lithium. By limiting theelastic modulus of the base body 41 to 1 Gpa-6 Gpa, it can effectivelyreduce the risk of short circuit, meanwhile, it also can avoid theprecipitate of lithium and improve the cycle performance. In someembodiments, the elastic modulus of the base body 41 is 1.2 Gpa-4.5 Gpa.

A thickness of the adhesive layer 42 is 0.5 μm-15 μm. If the thicknessof the adhesive layer 42 is smaller than 0.5 μm, the bonding strength ofthe adhesive layer 42 is lower, which leads to the base body 41 beingeasily separated from the electrode assembly 1, and results in a failureof the protecting function of the base body 41. If the thickness of theadhesive layer 42 is larger than 15 μm, the adhesive layer 42 willoccupy an excessive space, which reduces the energy density of thesecondary battery.

When the electrode assembly 1 expands, a stress concentration will begenerated between the separator 113 and the adhesive layer 42; in orderto avoid the separator 113 being separated from the adhesive layer 42,the bonding strength of the adhesive layer 42 is larger than 0.05 N/mm²in some embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 3, the outer surface of the electrode assembly 1comprises two first surfaces 13 and two second surfaces 14. The twofirst surfaces 13 are basically flat surfaces and respectivelypositioned at two ends of the electrode assembly 1 in the thicknessdirection Y, the two second surfaces 14 are respectively positioned attwo ends of the electrode assembly 1 in the width direction X. Two endsof each second surface 14 are respectively connected with the two firstsurfaces 13.

In some embodiments, the electrode units 11 of the electrode assembly 1are sequentially arranged in the thickness direction Y, so in all themain surfaces 11 b of the electrode units 11, one main surface 11 bclosest to one first side wall 21 is exposed, the other main surface 11b closest to the other first side wall 21 is exposed. The two exposedmain surfaces 11 b respectively are the two first surfaces 13 of theelectrode assembly 1. In addition, the “exposed” is described relativeto the electrode assembly 1.

At least a part of the narrow surface 11 a is arc surface, so a gap iskept between the narrow surfaces 11 a of adjacent electrode units 11,the narrow surface 11 a of each electrode unit 11 will not be covered byother electrode units 11, the narrow surfaces 11 a of the electrodeunits 11 are exposed. One second surface 14 comprises the narrowsurfaces 11 a of each electrode unit 11 at one end of the each electrodeunit 11 in the width direction X, the other second surface 14 comprisesthe narrow surfaces 11 a of each electrode unit 11 at the other end ofthe each electrode unit 11 in the width direction X.

In the present disclosure, the two first surfaces 13 are respectivelypositioned at two ends of the electrode assembly 1 in the thicknessdirection Y, and the two second surfaces 14 are respectively positionedat two ends of the electrode assembly 1 in the width direction X; thefirst surface 13 and the second surface 14 are intersected with eachother, so the intersecting position between the first surface 13 and thesecond surface 14 forms an intersection line L.

The area of the main surface 11 b of the electrode unit 11 is largerthan the area of narrow surface 11 a of the electrode unit 11, so whenthe electrode unit 11 expands in the using process, the deformation ofthe main surface 11 b of the electrode unit 11 is more serious; in otherwords, a protruding dimension of the main surface 11 b of the electrodeunit 11 in the thickness direction Y is larger than a protrudingdimension of the narrow surface 11 a in the thickness direction Y.Therefore, compared to the second surface 14, the first surface 13 iseasier to press the case 2. Furthermore, the first surface 13 is abasically flat surface, the second surface 14 comprises narrow surfaces11 b and at least a part of each narrow surface 11 b is arc surface,even if the degree of the deformation of the first surface 13 is same asthe degree of the deformation of the second surface 14, compared to acontact area between the second surface 14 and the case 2, a contactarea between the first surface 13 and the case 2 is larger. Therefore,compared to the narrow surface 11 a, the main surface 11 b of theelectrode unit 11 has a higher risk of short circuit.

In order to improve the energy density, a gap reserved between theelectrode assembly 1 and the case 2 is small, especially a gap betweenthe first surface 13 and the first side wall 21. When the electrodeassembly 1 expands, the first surface 13 is easily subjected to a forceof the first side wall 21; the second surface 14 is basically in theshape of arc, a larger gap is kept between the second surface 14 and thesecond side wall 23 and a larger gap is kept between second surface 14and the first side wall 21, so when the electrode assembly 1 expands,the second surface 14 is not easily subjected to a force of the secondside wall 23 and a force of the first side wall 21. Therefore, in someembodiments, the first insulating tape 4 is closely attached to thefirst surface 13; in other words, the first insulating tape 4 is bondedon the first surface 13. The first insulating tape 4 can separate thefirst side wall 21 and the first surface 13, thereby avoiding the metalforeign materials piercing the first surface 13, preventing theelectrical connection between the negative electrode active materiallayer 112 d and the first side wall 21, and improving the insulationperformance.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the width direction X, an edge of the firstinsulating tape 4 extends to the intersection line L. Specifically, twoedges of the first insulating tape 4 in the width direction Xrespectively are a first edge 4 c and a second edge 4 d. In the widthdirection X, the first edge 4 c is flush with one intersection line Lpositioned at one end of the first surface 13, the second edge 4 d isflush with the other intersection line L positioned at the other end ofthe first surface 13. At this time, in the width direction X, the firstinsulating tape 4 can separate the first side wall 21 and the negativeelectrode plate 112 completely, thereby avoiding the electricalconnection between the first side wall 21 and the negative electrodeplate 112, and improving the insulation performance.

A region of the first surface 13 not covered by the first insulatingtape 4 still has a risk of being pierced by the metal foreign materials,so in order to ensure the insulation performance, a ratio of an area ofthe first insulating tape 4 to an area of the first surface 13 is75%-95%. If the ratio is larger than 95%, when bonding the firstinsulating tape 4, the first insulating tape 4 is easy to be misplaced,which leads to the first insulating tape 4 exceeding the end surface 12,affects the infiltration capability, and results in the risk of theprecipitate of lithium.

In order to further improve the insulation performance and avoid thefirst insulating tape 4 being damaged in the process of positioning thefirst insulating tape 4 into the case 2, the secondary battery furthercomprises a protecting member 6 positioned in the case 2, the protectingmember 6 can surround the electrode assembly 1 and the first insulatingtape 4, so as to separate the electrode assembly 1 and the case 2 andseparate the first insulating tape 4 and the case 2. A basicallyrectangle cavity is formed by the protecting member 6, and the electrodeassembly 1 and the first insulating tape 4 are received in the cavityand surrounded by the protecting member 6. Specifically, in step (iv),it winds the protecting member 6 around the electrode assembly 1 and thefirst insulating tape 4 firstly, and then positions the protectingmember 6, the electrode assembly 1 and the first insulating tape 4 intothe case 2 together, and welds the case 2 to the cap plate 31 of the capassembly 3 in the end, thereby realizing the seal of the case 2.

Referring to FIG. 7, in some alternative embodiments, the secondarybattery further comprises a second insulating tape 5, at least a part ofthe second insulating tape 5 is closely attached to the second surface14, and the second insulating tape 5 is connected with the firstinsulating tape 4. The first insulating tape 4 and the second insulatingtape 5 are integrally formed in some embodiments. If there is no secondinsulating tape 5, when bonding the first insulating tape 4, it needs toensure that the first edge 4 c is flush with one intersection line L andthe second edge 4 d is flush with the other intersection line L, whichhas a higher requirement of process precision. By providing the secondinsulating tape 5, it allows misplacement between the first edge 4 c andthe intersection line L, as long as it can ensure that the intersectionline L is covered by the first insulating tape 4 or the secondinsulating tape 5, thereby simplifying bonding process of the insulatingtape.

Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure further providean apparatus, which includes a secondary battery according to any one ofthe embodiments as described above, wherein the secondary battery isadapted to provide power for the apparatus. The apparatus may be anelectric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, an electric scooter, an electriccart or any other suitable devices which can include the battery pack astheir own power source.

What is claimed is:
 1. A secondary battery, comprising an electrode assembly, a case, a cap assembly and a first insulating tape; the electrode assembly comprising an electrode unit, the electrode unit being provided as one or plurality in number; the electrode unit comprising a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate and a separator provided between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate; the electrode unit being a winding structure and in a flat shape, and an outermost turn of the negative electrode plate being positioned at an outer side of an outermost turn of the positive electrode plate; the case comprising a first side wall and an accommodating cavity, the electrode assembly being accommodated in the accommodating cavity, the case being electrically connected with the positive electrode plate, and the cap assembly being connected with the case; the first insulating tape being positioned between the electrode assembly and the first side wall and closely attached to an outer surface of the electrode assembly.
 2. The secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein the negative electrode plate comprises a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer coated on two surfaces of the negative electrode current collector; along a length direction parallel to a winding axis of the electrode unit, an end portion of the first insulating tape exceeds the negative electrode active material layer.
 3. The secondary battery according to claim 2, wherein the electrode assembly has two end surfaces disposed opposite to each other in the length direction; in the length direction, the end portion of the first insulating tape does not exceed the end surface.
 4. The secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating tape comprises a base body and an adhesive layer, the base body is bonded on the outer surface of the electrode assembly via the adhesive layer.
 5. The secondary battery according to claim 4, wherein a thickness of the base body is 10 μm-50 μm, and an elastic modulus of the base body is 1 Gpa-6 Gpa.
 6. The secondary battery according to claim 4, wherein a thickness of the adhesive layer is 0.5 μm-15 μm, and a bonding strength of the adhesive layer is larger than 0.05 N/mm².
 7. The secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein the secondary battery further comprises a protecting member positioned in the case, the protecting member separates the electrode assembly and the case and separates the first insulating tape and the case.
 8. The secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the electrode assembly comprises a first surface and a second surface, the first surface is a flat surface and positioned at an end of the electrode assembly in a thickness direction, the second surface is connected with the first surface and positioned at an end of the electrode assembly in a width direction; the first side wall is positioned at a side of the electrode assembly close to the first surface in the thickness direction, the first insulating tape is positioned between the first surface and the first side wall.
 9. The secondary battery according to claim 8, wherein the secondary battery further comprises a second insulating tape, at least a part of the second insulating tape is closely attached to the second surface, and the second insulating tape and the first insulating tape are integrally formed.
 10. The secondary battery according to claim 8, wherein a ratio of an area of the first insulating tape to an area of the first surface is 75%-95%.
 11. The secondary battery according to claim 8, wherein the electrode unit is provided as plurality in number, and the plurality of electrode units are arranged in the thickness direction; each electrode unit has a narrow surface at an end in the width direction; the second surface comprises the narrow surface of each electrode unit.
 12. The secondary battery according to claim 11, wherein at least a part of the narrow surface is arc surface.
 13. The secondary battery according to claim 8, wherein the first surface and the second surface are intersected with each other, and an intersecting position between each first surface and each second surface forms an intersection line; the first insulating tape comprises a first edge and a second edge in the width direction; in the width direction, the first edge is flush with one intersection line positioned at one end of the first surface, the second edge is flush with the other intersection line positioned at the other end of the first surface.
 14. The secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein the cap assembly comprises a cap plate, an electrode terminal and a connecting piece, the cap plate is connected with the case and covers an opening of the case, the electrode terminal is provided to the cap plate, and the connecting piece connects the electrode terminal and the electrode assembly.
 15. The secondary battery according to claim 14, wherein the electrode terminal is provided as two in number; one electrode terminal is electrically connected with the positive electrode plate and the cap plate, the other electrode terminal is electrically connected with the negative electrode plate and insulated from the cap plate.
 16. The secondary battery according to claim 2, wherein in the length direction, a dimension of the separator is larger than a dimension of the negative electrode active material layer.
 17. The secondary battery according to claim 16, wherein the positive electrode plate comprises a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer coated on two surfaces of the positive electrode current collector; in the length direction, a dimension of the negative electrode active material layer is larger than a dimension of the positive electrode active material layer.
 18. The secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein an outermost turn of the separator of the electrode unit is positioned at an outer side of the outermost turn of the negative electrode plate.
 19. The secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating tape is provided as two in number, and the two first insulating tapes are respectively positioned at two ends of the electrode assembly in a thickness direction.
 20. An apparatus, comprising a secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein the secondary battery is adapted to provide power for the apparatus. 